Combined vehicle spring connection and axle-brace.



E. ()EHRLE. ,COMBINED VEHICLE SPRING CONNECTION AND A XLE BRACE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13| l9l7- RENEWED APR. 2.191s.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

@TATES PAT NT OFICFJ.

EMANUEL OEHRLE, OF OMAHA; NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN J.FUCHS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

COMBINED VEHICLE SPRING CONNECTION AND AXLE-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 26, 1918.

Application filed January 13, 1917, Serial No. 142,261. Renewed April 2,1918. Serial No. 226,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMANUEL Onnnnn, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Omaha, in the State of Nebraska, have invented anew and useful Combined Vehicle Spring Connection and Axle-Brace, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an axle brace and a connecting device wherebylongitudinally disposed or side springs may be substituted forcross-springs such as are generally disposed in alinemcnt with and abovethe axle; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to relieve theaxle, or axle housing, as ordinarily mounted on automobiles, from suddenintermediate loads or shocks caused by breakage of springs; second, toreinforce the axle or housing to resist the regular vertical load and todistribute the sidewise strain equally to both ends of the axle orhousing, when the vehicle and load is tilted laterally by sideling roadsor when either wheel is suddenly obstructed in its sidewise slide on theground when skidding; third, to provide a bottom seat and connection forthe side springs without changing the regular spring perches or springattaching structure of the axle; and, fourth, to provide a sub-framecross member or sub-bolster that will seat in or against the regularframe cross member or bolster, without disturbing ts attachment to theframe of the vehicle or in any manner materially modifying the retainedparts of the structure. I can best disclose my contrivance by showing itapplied to the rear axle housing and hind frame bolster of the latesttype of Ford automobile. To this end, the structural mechanism by whichI attain the above mentioned objects is illustrated by the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure l is a rear elevation of the co1nplete deviceattached to the hind axle housing and rear bolster of an automobile, apart of the regular bolster and sub-bolster being cut away and shown insection; Fig. 2, an underside view of the upper part, taken on thebroken line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged scale cross-section on thebroken lines 3 and 3 of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4:, a crosssection on thebroken lines 4, of Figs. 1, 2 and 5; and Fig. 5, is a top view of theaxle brace and lower spring support bar, fastened in position above theautomobile hind axle housing, the springs being removed.

Throughout all of the views similar reference numerals indicate likeparts of the device.

An I beam or bar 5, has near its ends, its top flanges widened to formthe support seats 6 and 6 for the bottoms of the elliptic side springs 7and 7. This bar has its web divided vertically to form the forked ends 8to engage the regular spring-perches 9 on the housing plates 10 at theends of the axle housing 25. A central portion of the I bar is bentupwardly to form the arch 11 clearing the differential housing or casing12 at the center of the axle. The spring-:-;upport seats are perforatedto take the spring clips 13 by which the bottom halves of the fullelliptic side springs are secured on the seats. The forked ends aresecured to the perches by the pins 14, whereby the I bar forms a rigidbrace or top chord of a truss of which the axle or axle housing is thebottom chord.

Particularly citing the old or regular members of the car structure towhich the new is attached :The rear cross member or bolster 15 of theframe is made from a channel bar disposed with the gutter downward toreceive the curved top of a half elliptic cross spring. This framebolster has a central upward bend 16 corresponding, in position, withthe top of the cross spring and a central vertical bolt 17 whereby thetop of this cross spring is secured in the gutter of the channel. Theenlarged crosssection of this frame bolster, shown in Fig. 3, shows thebridge or brace 18 spanning the lower edges of the flanges as a braceand attaching plate to facilitate attaching the hind end of the sidemember 19 of the car frame.

For a top connection, for the substituted full elliptic side springs 7and 7, to the frame bolster, described above, I supply a sub-bolster 20disposed throughout the ehannel or gutter of the frame bolster. It is ofinverted channel shape, like the frame bolster, and its projecting endsare disposed through the full elliptic springs at each side. These endsare widened at the top by the laterally disposed flanges 21 which haveholes to receive the spring clips 22 by which the widened ends of thesub-bolster are secured to the under sides of the top halves of thesubstituted full elliptic springs. As the widened ends of thissub-bolster cannot be inserted through the narrow space above the braceplate 18 at the end of the frame bolster,-see Fig. 3,-the sub-bolster ismade forated to receive the vertical attaching bolt 17. These lappedends are widened to quite fill in width the gutter of the frame bolsterto prevent any lateral shift on the central attaching bolt. Thesub-bolster also has the enlarging bosses 26, in each half, disposedjust within the ends of the frame-bolster and bored to receive thevertical bolts 27 and 27 that secure the body-attaching brackets 28 ontop of the ends of the frame bolster. That part of each half disposedbetween the points of attachment is narrower and of different curvaturefrom the frame bolster, so that the sub-bolster has no bearing thereinexcept at the three points of attachment, the center and the ends; andbeing of less vertical height than the space between the braces 18 andthe web or top plate of the frame bolster, gives ample clearance for theinsertion therein of these halves of the sub-bolster. And a portion 29of each half, between the end of the frame bolster and the spring, isbent vertically to bring the car frame to a desired altitude above theaxle.

Any lateral force applied at the bottom of either wheel, by eitherskidding or sideling roads, producing a strain in a vertical planeagreeing with the axis of the axle housing, will obviously be equallydivided to each end of the axle housing; either by tensional orcompressive strain in the rigid I bar 5, securely attached to theperches 9 which are rigidly set in the tops of the ends of the housing.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising an axle housing,rigid perches disposed to stand upwardly on the ends of the housing, anda rigid bar disposed parallelly with and spaced above said housing andhaving its ends fastened to said perches.

2. A device of the character described, comprising an axle housing,rigid upwardly standing perches on the ends of said housing, a rigid barspaced away from said housing, to span the space between said perchesand having its ends fastened thereto, and a support seat for a spring onsaid bar.

3. A device of the character described, comprising an axle housinghaving an enlargement to form a differential casing, an upstanding perchon each end of the housing, a rigid bar spaced above and away from saidhousing and having a bend'to clear said casing and its ends fastened tosaid perches, and support seats for springs on said bar.

4. A device of the character described, comprising an axle housing, aperch on each end ofthe housing, a rigid bar having its ends fastened tosaid perches, springs fastened on top of said bar adjacent to its ends,a vehicle frame bolster shorter than the space between said springs, anda sub-bolster of greater length fastened to said frame bolster andhaving its projecting ends fastened to the tops of said springs.

5. In a device of the character described, a vehicle frame bolstercomposed of a channel bar having near its ends braces disposed acrossits channel and spaced from the bottom of said channel to form openings,in combination with a sub-bolster of greater length and made ofseparable halves with a lap splice at the longitudinal center, the innerspliced ends adapted to be inserted into the channel of the framebolster, through the said openings and the laps of the splice perforatedto receive a fastening bolt disposed through the web of the framebolster, and the outer ends of the halves widened to form attachingseats for the vehicle springs.

6. In a device of the character described, a vehicle frame bolsterconsisting of a bar having vehicle body-supporting brackets bolted onits ends, in combination with a sub-bolster of greater length disposedlengthwise with said frame bolster to project equally from the endsthereof and secured thereto by having bolt holes disposed to receive thebolts that secure said body brackets on the frame bolster, and theprojecting ends of the sub-bolster having ver tical bends to adjust thealtitude of the vehicle body above the axle and adapted to be attachedto the vehicle springs.

In testimony wheerof I have hereto aflixed my signature.

EMANUEL OEHRLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

